Birds on a Wire
by OpalescentStorm
Summary: After a mission changes everything, Neji and Tenten are left with questions. When your decisions are not only your own, what will you do to achieve happiness? What must be risked, and what must be sacrificed? Neji, Tenten, and the Hyuuga Clan; Nejiten.
1. For the Sake of the Mission

**Birds on a Wire**

_Chapter 1: For the Sake of the Mission_

Tenten sighed and glared at the formalwear draped across the foot of her bed at the inn. This was ludicrous. The mission had been completed, the scroll gathered and the opposition neutralized. Staying in the village for the festival was, quite frankly put, a complete waste of her time and energy. Not to mention cliche and ridiculous. With a small pout, the woman surmised that Tsunade had been drunk off her ass when she'd written up the mission itinerary.

Not that she would ever say such a thing to Tsunade's face. Sighing, Tenten picked up the yukata and crossed into the bathroom. She'd discovered that as she grew older and more experienced, the mission requirements became increasingly centered around the general mantra of 'shut up and obey.' As such, she'd become a master at keeping a running dialogue of complaints inside her head and a content, borderline-vapid smile on her face.

It took a few minutes to arrange the robe-like garment and the stiff, wide bow into some semblance of order and another minute or two to pull her hair from their customary buns and arrange the brown locks around her shoulders. Those tasks completed, she closed her eyes and formed a hand seal for a transformation jutsu. Upon opening her now-green eyes, she grinned at the mirror. Chikami Suzuki, dressmaker and visitor, was ready for the festival.

Not that she'd be going unescorted, of course. "Hey, princess, you done yet?" Tenten called out, hopping out of the bathroom as she slipped sandals on her feet. "I swear, he takes longer than any girl I-" Tenten bit her tongue when she opened the door to be faced with an irate man with his arms crossed and a scowl on his handsome face. His brown eyes glared at her.

"You should speak, Chikami," the man in question said smoothly. Tenten smiled. Even with a transformation jutsu on his hair and his famous eyes, she'd recognize his voice any day of the week. Neji Hyuuga.

"Sorry sweetheart," Tenten said, slipping her hand into his larger one with practiced ease. "Putting on a yukata can be a pain."

Neji raised his eyebrows slightly at her as they walked out of the doors. "In case you haven't noticed, I've put one on myself. I didn't find it a very taxing endeavor." Shocked, Tenten glanced over at Neji and looked away just as soon. As many years of training as she'd had, it was difficult hiding her blush when he looked so handsome. "But you look very lovely, no matter how long it took you to put it on."

The familiar feeling of her heart beating painfully registered once again, and Tenten had to swallow several times before she chastised herself for being a silly love struck girl. He was Masaru talking to his new wife, Chikami. "Thanks, love," Tenten said, reaching up and patting his cheek affectionately with the hand not enclosed within his own.

A comfortable silence stretched around them and Tenten sighed before surveying the crowd, her thoughts fluttering chaotically. Sometimes she wondered if Tsunade suspected Tenten's feelings and sent her and Neji on undercover missions together on purpose. It had happened plenty of times since Tenten had become a Jonin, and she was beginning to fear there was a reason other than coincidence.

Of course there was a reason other than coincidence, Tenten reminded herself tartly. It was because they worked well as a pair and were the only two in Team Gai capable of acting like normal human beings. She sighed quietly. Even drunk, Tsunade wouldn't be horrible enough to put her and Neji together to spite her feelings.

Frowning slightly, Neji glanced over at Tenten. It was the second time she'd sighed in the last few moments, and she'd ignored him the first time he'd tried to get her attention. "Chikami?" He called out the second time, but she was engrossed in the crowd. Neji looked in the direction she was gazing, wondering if there was something he should be concerned about. Like a male she was staring at.

...Or an enemy ninja.

Priorities, Neji, priorities.

"Chikami!" he uttered, more forcefully, squeezing her small hand.

Tenten was returned to reality with a bit of an unpleasant jolt. "What?" she asked, inwardly cringing at her own stupidity. Way to impress him, the woman thought, frowning. Zoning out on a mission. Like some Genin.

The small cough Neji let out could have been masking a chuckle, but soon his face was completely composed. "Just wondering if everything is all right, dear. You seem somewhat inattentive."

She turned a light shade of pink. Great, now he was calling her out on her foolishness. "Oh, I was just thinking it was a bit of a waste of time going here," Tenten mumbled. It was somewhat close to the truth. Close enough anyway.

"You've never been particularly fond of festivals, have you?" It was one of the traits he found endearing about her. Most of the other females in Konoha would be insufferable the week before any major event, but not her. "Don't worry. We should be home soon enough. Are you homesick or something, Chikami?" he asked her, a bit curious.

Her shoulders lifted quickly in a small shrug. "A little bit, I guess." And this mission is breaking my heart, she added silently. Like all those other ones where you pretend you actually love me and I don't have to do any acting.

Neji nodded and tugged her off in one direction. "If you continue to mope, I'll be forced to lock you in a room with Lee when we return. That would certainly cheer you up," he said wryly.

Pursing her lips, she threw Neji a sharp look. "As if. That would scare people more than it could ever cheer them up. And somehow I fear that I'd end up in spandex at the end of my confinement." It was an image Neji forced out of his mind, though certainly not one he found unpleasant. "Where are we going, Masaru?"

"Over to the food stands. You're usually less insufferable when you've been fed, Chikami," he said dryly. She punched him in the shoulder with her free hand and huffed. "Somewhere that serves dumplings?" Neji asked.

At this comment, Tenten softened a bit. Although she had known him for so long, she hadn't quite expected him to know her favorite food. "Yeah. That sounds good. A noodle stand for you? There should be some good soba somewhere around here." She was rewarded with a nod and a small smile.

Ten minutes later found the two of them wandering around, a few plate of dumplings and some takoyaki in Tenten's right hand and her left still nestled in Neji's right. All for the sake of the mission, of course. What a horrible, bittersweet feeling.

Neji waved his left hand in a somewhat agitated manner, almost upsetting the cup of herring soba, his favorite food. "There's no place for us to sit here," he complained. "There are too many people here."

Tenten giggled quietly. "You were the one telling me not to mope a while ago, Masaru," she teasingly reminded him. Suddenly, she jerked Neji along, weaving through the throngs of people to settle on a small bench. "Here we go. You can stop whining now, sweetheart," Tenten said, trying not to laugh at his expression.

Instead of dignifying that with a reply, Neji began to eat, only getting a couple of bites into his noodles before he made a face. "There's probably more grease than noodles in this. Festival food is disgusting," he sighed.

She looked over at him, a stick of dumplings halfway to her mouth and a puzzled expression on her face, and for a moment Neji couldn't think of having ever seen anything or anyone cuter. Mission, he reminded himself angrily. You're on a mission and she's your damn _teammate._ "How can you not like festival food? It's about the only good thing about festivals," Tenten said obstinately.

"It's disgusting," Neji repeated.

In return, Tenten simply smiled. "Once or twice a year, it's not about to kill you, Masaru." He scoffed but offered no further comment, opting instead to eat his noodles in whatever remnants of his dignity he could gather. Festival food. Really.

About halfway through the cup, he gave up on it and put it beside him on the bench, not willing to stand to find a trash can and lose Tenten in the process. Instead, he placed his hands on the bench to either side of him and watched all of the people as they walked by, a parade of colors in front of his very eyes.

Few people, it seemed, were there alone. Those who were seemed to always be looking around, Neji noticed, craning their necks for a glimpse of a familiar face. Hungry for attention and the company of others. The lonely ones, the ones who weren't searching, looked downcast. The bright colors and cacophony of sounds seemed not to effect them; they were wrapped up in their loneliness.

Before Team Gai and the first few months–maybe even a year–after joining, Neji had been one of those. A visitor to the festival that couldn't be cheered by the spectacles around them. He'd been wrapped up in his own anger and self-righteousness and sorrow, too occupied trying to beat the world to be cheered up by it.

Later, he was always accompanied by Lee, who was unsufferable unless he pretended he was having (or, more often than not, had but pretended he was not having) at least a little bit of fun. Often, Tenten would join the two of them, though she sometimes preferred the company of other females. He couldn't quite blame her for trying to avoid Lee, but such times were sometimes mentally scarring for him.

And now? Neji's eyes lit on a couple, a grinning female hand-in-hand with a male who looked exasperated but happy beyond words. He could feel the warmth from Tenten's hand, which rested centimeters away from his own. Of course they seemed like a couple, he reminded himself bitterly, it was part of what they were being paid to do. Just another role until they went back to their normal selves. Friends and teammates, sparring partners but nothing more. Never anything more. Hoping was foolish. She'd want someone else.

Someone who wasn't branded.

And he? Well, the Hyuuga clan would have their own plans for him. His future was never only his own. Fate and the clan both tugged the marionette strings.

Tenten glanced over at Neji. His eyes were fixed forward, seemingly staring into the crowds, but they were also uninterested and far, far away. She bit her lip and grabbed his hand, startling him out of his reverie. "Well, if you're done eating, Masaru, let's go. I want some cotton candy before the fireworks start, please."

To Neji, the smile that fell over his lips tasted bittersweet. "Chikami, is there ever a time when you're not hungry or craving sweets? Are you pregnant already?" he questioned her. God. Pregnant Tenten. Now that was an image that was both frightening and enthralling.

"I resent that, jerk," she responded to his first question, jerking him unsympathetically from the park bench. "And no, I don't think so. Guess it's your lack of ability to perform, Masaru," she said sweetly, looking pleased with herself.

Well, that was a bit of a low blow, Neji though, amused. Although Tenten didn't exactly avoid underhanded techniques. "And _I_ resent _that_. Come on, let's go get your cotton candy."

The brunette grinned her approval and pulled him with her as she began to meander towards the stalls, depositing her empty plate and into the trash bin she passed. Neji followed and tried not to gag at the smell emanating from the waste inside of it. He would never understand how she could stand the food served at these festivals.

Only a few moments passed before Tenten's sharp eyes spied a gaudy booth advertising cotton candy. Her treat acquired, she began to happily eat it until a loud booming sound distracted her. "Oh, the fireworks are starting! Come on, Masaru, let's go find a good place to watch them!" she exclaimed, pulling him with her as she hurried away from the stands and towards the grassy knoll they'd passed on their way in.

He sighed good-naturedly and allowed himself to be towed along with her. Once she had found a spot to her satisfaction, the two settled down, leaning back to gaze at the sky earnestly, though now only stars showed. "Well, I thought they were starting," Tenten said, not pleased.

Neji was about to reply that perhaps it had just been a single firework as a reminder the show would soon be starting. Before he could, though, a voice cut in. "Chikami! Masaru! Hey!" A short redhead bounded towards them, seemingly unhindered by the especially tall blonde man whom she was dragging along.

"Huh? Oh! Hey, Isari," Tenten sang out, patting the grass next to her. "Come on, sit down. I rushed over here 'cause I thought the fireworks were starting out, but I guess not," she said.

The woman named Isari waved a dismissive hand. "No, no. They always do that about five minutes before the show starts. Oh well, it's all fine. Hey, have you guys met Hikaru?" The man in question raised a hand in greeting and smiled. He was certainly good looking enough, Tenten decided, though she certainly had it better.

"Are you guys together?" Tenten asked slyly, grinning. Isari grinned and nodded, and Hikaru blushed but smiled. "Ah, you're such a cute couple," Tenten laughed. "Good luck with her, Hikaru. You'll need it," she joked. The days she'd spent with the redhead (the days they'd spent doing actual _work_, she though, still slightly annoyed), she'd learned of Isari's excessive energy and endless capacity for silliness.

The aforementioned woman only laughed. "Like you should talk. You can totally tell you and Masaru are newlyweds. Hanging off of each other like you can't be apart for a moment." A cunning look caught in her eyes, and she grinned sneakily. "You know what, though? Something's wrong with the two of you."

It took a deal of effort for Neji to keep alarm from showing across his features. "Oh, really? And what is that, Isari?" he asked cooly.

The young woman smiled trickily at the two of them. "We-ell," she said, dragging out the word, "you've been around for a week here on vacation, right?" At their nodded agreement, she went on. "A whole week I've seen you, and I've never once seen you two kiss! That's completely crazy from a new husband and wife! What, are you two shy or something?"

Feeling his face burn, Neji hazarded a glance at Tenten, who looked every inch as red as he felt. As she began to stammer out a reply, a notion gripped him and wouldn't let him go.

_Just kiss her._

A simple enough action. It would put to rest Isari's suspicions and fears, and if Tenten questioned it he could say it was all for the mission. Furthermore, he wanted to do it. To feel her lips on his. To see her reaction.

It was crazy, ridiculous, impulsive. Things he wasn't and never had any intention of being there.

Yet sitting there in the twilight, the soft glow of the festival surrounding them in what seemed like a soft gold halo, Neji couldn't think of a single reason why not. There were plenty, he knew. And a nagging voice in the back of his head told him that he'd regret it when they were away from the comforting and warm ambiance of the festival.

But he couldn't think of a single reason not to kiss the woman whom he had loved so long.

He leaned over and placed his hand on her chin and tilted it up. So many emotions flashed behind her eyes that he doubted he could have deciphered them even with the help of the Sharingan. Hope was last, and he almost pulled away. He couldn't do it, shouldn't do it. He couldn't stop himself.

As her lips parted, he captured them with his own. Somewhere above him, the fireworks had started, but he couldn't care less. Tenten felt thousands of questions bubble up her throat, but she swallowed them before she could force herself to pull away from him and ask them. The mission, it was all for the mission. So why, she wondered, did it feel like her heart was swelling to the bursting point? Why, Neji pondered, did it feel like his heart was beating so deeply, so rapidly that it ached?

Somewhere they both could feel something tearing, and amazing as the kiss was, as they pulled away, each would have given anything for it to never have happened.

Everything would go to hell in a handbasket; they knew it. All for a stupid, wonderful kiss.

**AN: **_Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! The remaining ones will definitely not be so fluffy, so sorry if I got your hopes up. Thank you for reading._


	2. And Down She Fell

**Birds on a Wire**

_Chapter 2: And Down She Fell_

Groaning at the time displayed on her clock, Tenten clutched her blankets tighter and flopped onto her stomach. As she buried her face in the pillow, she wondered idly why time couldn't just stop and give her a respite. She certainly couldn't just skip training. Because then Lee would come to get her, and Gai would lecture her, and Neji...

She gulped and her stomach performed an admirable set of acrobatics. Maybe it would be best if she didn't think about that person too much, Tenten decided. Instead, she rose from bed, giving up on the hope of sleep, and busied herself with preparing for the day ahead. Change clothing, do hair, eat something light, brush teeth. Everything was done with a detached, automatic feeling. Just another day. It would just be another day.

When she'd finally finished her routine, she checked the small clock in what she liked to call a kitchen (although that was being a bit ambitious of her, she supposed). 5:17. Joy. Practice wouldn't start for around a quarter of an hour. But for some reason she couldn't bring herself to sit around the house listlessly. May as well go ahead of time and maybe do a few bo katas, or work with her new scrolls, she reasoned as she slipped on her shoes and hopped for the door.

The village looked nice in this light, Tenten noted, peering through the semi-darkness at the silhouettes of the buildings before her. The sky was barely lit, colored a soft, dusky blue. A sleepy hush fell over the town. Those who were active during the night, mainly the ninja citizens, would have gone back to bed. The diurnal types wouldn't be up soon, though in an hour or so the village would be teeming with activity.

Even running at a steady pace, it took a while to get to the training grounds. They had to be far enough away from the main part of the village that they wouldn't frighten the civilians inside of the walls, and the training grounds that Team Gai had claimed were on the very outer edges, because explosive tags were loud and the Kaiten left some nice craters and if Gai or Lee decided to open a gate or, you know, five, everything would start to get even crazier.

Thus it had been simple logic to set up a quasi-permanent residence as far from the village as possible.

Even if it was a bit of a trek, especially for five in the morning, Tenten thought, sighing in relief as the training grounds came into sight and she couldn't sense anyone nearby. Even Gai and Lee, who were notorious for being early, weren't quite this early. Nor was Neji, which was quite a bit of a blessing. Were she alone with Neji... Tenten blanched. She didn't even want to think about the possibility, much less experience it. Her actions towards him for the past few days, especially right after the mission, had not been quite admirable.

Her musings were interrupted as something at the base of the tree under which Neji usually meditated. The early morning light fell on a small sparrow, nestled prone near the base of the tree.

With a frown, Tenten approached it. She had hoped it would awaken and fly away, but in her heart she knew it was a silly, childish wish. Dead birds couldn't get better and just take flight, after all.

Tenten picked up the small body in her hands and watched as the head lolled uselessly, the neck clearly broken. How ridiculous, she thought, pulling a kunai out of her pocket and digging a hole for it a short distance away. What kind of idiot bird broke its neck flying into a tree? Did it get distracted? Could it not see in the darkness? Or maybe it had been perched in a branch and for some reason fallen down to the unforgivable ground below and been unable to save itself.

A wave of sorrow rolled over her, and Tenten bit into her lip. She was being sentimental over a damn _bird_. A stupid sparrow.

Stabbing into the ground with more ferocity than necessary, she mauled the dirt until there was a sizeable hole dug into it. Gently, she slipped the small creature into its grave and covered it carefully, packing the dirt down once the hole had disappeared.

God, she had to compose herself before anyone showed up. Exhaling loudly, she produced a scroll and unrolled it carefully until she found the three-sectioned staff. It took one smear of her thumb across her punctured lip to gather enough blood to summon, and another smear, a red strike through the perfect calligraphy naming the weapon, to call it into her hand.

She'd barely made it through a kata before she heard–rather than saw or sensed, and that was quite saying something–Lee and Gai approaching. "Tenten!" Gai boomed happily as soon as he noticed her presence (which was quite a while after she noticed _theirs_). "I simply can't put into words how happy I am to see your youthful vigor burning so brightly after your mission. I'm quite relieved you are home and seemingly without injury."

Without injury, she echoed wryly in her mind. Without physical injury would be a far more apt way of putting it. "Of course, Gai-sensei," she replied instead, smiling at the two of them. "It was a fairly low-level mission, after all. I'm guessing you two kept busy enough while the two of us were gone?" she asked.

"Tenten! I think I have improved in my Taijutsu since you saw me last!" Lee said, excitedly. "I have mastered a new technique, even," he added, seeming simultaneously modest and proud.

Rolling her eyes, she beamed at her energetic teammate. If there was anything that could pick up her spirits, it was the antics of Gai and Lee. Unless she was exposed to said antics too long, at which point she would probably go insane. "Well, obviously you've improved since last week. Unless you've given up on our motto, that is," she teased.

His eyes became wide and over-bright. "I would never do such a thing, Tenten! I will continue to live by our motto. Everyday, 'Stronger than the you of yesterday!'" he exclaimed, extending his fist in front of him.

Because he would be intolerable if she didn't, and because she loved the cheer, as cheesy as it was, she extended her fist in front of her. "'Stronger than the you of yesterday,'" she repeated. "Well, anyway," Tenten said, returning to a more eased posture. "I want to see this new technique of yours. Which means that you have to spar with _me_ today," she said, mock glaring at him. "Unless you can't take the challenge, that is."

Lee laughed brightly and pretended to glare in return, though he continued to be nearly as intimidating as an especially fluffy kitten. "I accept your challenge, Tenten!" he called out.

In the background, Tenten could hear Gai chuckling. "Very well. I had a technique in mind to show to your esteemed teammate."

"He teaches Neji stuff?" Tenten asked, gaping slightly. "Really?"

The reply from Lee was a laugh. "Are you jealous, Tenten? I know you and Neji have a special relationship, but Gai has advice for all of us sometimes. You cannot have our esteemed teammate all to yourself," he said in his most sage of tones.

Oh, God. A special relationship? Tenten prayed that was some ridiculous figure of speech and Lee hadn't suddenly developed a sense of intuition. "A 'special relationship,' Lee?" she asked, forcing a dismissive laugh. "Isn't that a bit of an extreme way of putting it?"

"You and Neji are training and sparring partners! That is one of the most special of relationships in a ninja's world!" Ah. Lee was as lacking in the intuitive department as ever. All was right in the world.

This time, Tenten's laugh was pure relief. "Whatever, Lee," she said teasingly. "Either way, why would I be jealous if I already have a partner today? Now, come on, let's spar!" she said, gathering her tri-sectioned staff in her hands and waiting for him to attack.

"As you wish!" he exclaimed, complying by diving headlong at her. She struck out but missed, of course. Shaking her head, Tenten recognized the folly of her first attack as she flipped away from a kick aimed at the upper part of her torso. With Lee, you could never attack where he was. In a split second he'd be gone again. You had to always be a step or two ahead.

A leap and a flip cleared her of his next charge, and she swung the staff around to connect solidly with the back of his arm. Not near a clean enough hit, she thought, dissatisfied as he rolled forward with the blow. Lee waved his hands energetically at her from the top of a tree. "Tenten! One moment, please! I forgot something!"

Chuckling, Tenten dropped her guard and brought the staff to rest at her side. With anyone else, she wouldn't have put down her weapon, but Lee didn't have a treacherous bone in his entire body. "Hmm?" she asked him, tilting her head up at him as he sort of bounced around, seemingly bursting with excitement.

"Feel free to use your scrolls as much as you would like! In order for me to accomplish this new technique, I will have to take my weights off," he told her. It was kind of a rule that when Tenten sparred with Lee, she never used anything sharp unless he'd taken off his leg weights. With them on, he simply wouldn't be able to dodge all of the weapons that she could unleash. Even with them off, she still held back, ever so slightly.

Bladed weapons were made for killing, nothing more, nothing less. And that wasn't a risk she was about to take with an opponent who had no ninjutsu defenses against steel.

"All right, Lee, but you asked for it!" she exclaimed, bounding up into the air and unfurling one of her smaller scrolls. Just kunai, no explosives, not even that many. This was a warm-up, and they both knew it. She might graze him with one or two, but nothing more. The second she touched down upon the ground, a blur approached her. Diving to the left, she tossed three kunai behind her, each one equipped with a small explosive tag. Upon hearing the unmistakable sound of a tree hitting the ground, Tenten grinned triumphantly.

Her eyes caught Lee's motions as he rolled away a moment too late, the trunk catching him across the left side. As he paused, she released a chain of weaponry, always aiming away from the vital areas. The taijutsu staggered for a moment before leaping back and then forward. He ran at her in a zig-zag motion, a smart enough move, but not quite good enough. A smirk playing about her lips, Tenten darted into the treetops, splaying her scroll open across her arms.

She could never escape him by running, of course, but backing away for a moment bought her enough time. A second to draw chakra into her calves and quads, and the next second she was flying. Just for a moment, she stole time and looked around her. Everything looked so much more beautiful from here, where the air was thinner and the light seemed clearer. Just as she was about to attack, blue chakra caught her eye and held her gaze.

Neji. Tenten tried to tear her gaze away (it's way past time to be attacking, a more sensible part of her shrieked), but as she watched the Kaiten dissolve in sparks around him, she couldn't help but replay their last minutes of the mission together. And as she sensed Lee approaching, way too close for comfort during a spar, she couldn't tear herself away from her memories of that beautiful, wonderful, terrible kiss.

And then she was falling, falling, falling down.

_._

Sakura frowned deeply at Neji as he shouldered his way through the door. "She's not dying or anything, Hyuuga, so you can just wait until she's released, which will be whenever she wakes up." The glare he received was intimidating enough, he supposed, but he'd grown up within the walls of the Hyuuga complex. Perhaps if she really wanted to frighten him, she should go to the elders for instructions.

"It's imperative that I speak to her," Neji said, his tone a step away from demanding. "And the nurse outside of the door said that visitors were admitted into this room and that visiting hours do not close for some time now, so unless circumstances have changed, I'm doing nothing wrong," he defended.

Another frown marred Sakura's features. As much as she disliked that argument, she couldn't refute it. God, how did Lee and Tenten put up with this jerk, she wondered as she finished her check. "Her vitals are fine, her body has healed up well and quickly. However, she isn't allowed to train for..." Sakura frowned and racked her brain. "Three days should be good." Three days wasn't quite as long as she'd want, but with the members of Team Gai, you had to compromise or they'd disobey you anyway to train.

Maniacs, Sakura thought, suppressing a chuckle as she passed by Neji. All of them were maniacs. "Anyway, grab a nurse if she wakes up when you're here. She'll need to be dismissed," she said, hearing rather than seeing Neji nod from behind her. Hyuugas, she though, exasperated, as she closed the door behind her with maybe a bit more force than necessary. God forbid they showed, you know, emotions. Or kindness. Maybe such qualities skipped most of the clan's members and were just drained into Hinata, the medic reasoned. She clearly had both, and in large supply.

Inside the small room, Neji watched his teammate for a moment before approaching her bedside. Her face looked serene and unmarred, a strong contrast, he knew, to her body. Lee had shot past them, stopping only long enough to give the briefest of explanations. In that moment, he had seen Tenten's battered body, Lee's horrified expression.

Inexplicable anger rose in the pit of his stomach, curdling his insides. She'd been such an idiot. _Lee_ had been such an idiot. Apparently she had been _distracted_. Annoyance rose in him. The stupid girl could have been killed. All because she'd been distracted. That wouldn't have happened if they were training together, he thought, unreasonable in his anger. He wouldn't have allowed her to be hurt.

"Tenten," he demanded, his tone quite a bit more sharp than he had been aiming for, but Neji supposed it wouldn't hurt to let her know he wasn't pleased in the least bit.

She knew that voice. And she knew she'd better answer it, no matter how much she wanted not to. Tenten pulled out of her pleasant dream and into the austere reality of the hospital room. Rolling over, she cracked one eye open to face one very displeased Neji. Because saying 'glad to see you're all right' or even 'please wake up' would have been _so_ hard. Jackass. "Oh, go stuff yourself, Neji," Tenten huffed, turning away from him.

If he called her out on the insult, she could blame it on whatever medicines she was on.

Neji bit his lip to keep quiet, even managing to keep from yanking her back on her other side so she would face him. Good to know his self control was at least working today. "Listen, you don't have to look at me or even act like you're listening, but I need to speak with you and figured this would be the best place. Somewhere you can't run away," he said, his voice biting.

Although she knew she was just buying into whatever trick he was pulling, Tenten rolled over. "I was _not_ running from you. I was merely trying to get back to Konoha as fast as possible, seeing as I was worried we were attracting the attention of some of the local shinobi." ...okay, so she had been running away. No reason to admit that to Hyuuga-_sama_ over there.

"I see. And then you effectively stopped any conversation at the training grounds by engaging Lee in a spar before I came. A spar, which, may I add, turned out–"

"No, you may _not_ add!" Tenten snapped, narrowing her eyes. "Just say your piece and get out of here, Neji. I'm so not in the mood right now for you to point out every one of my flaws."

For some reason, he felt the irrational urge to gather her in his arms and to comfort her, to tell her that it wasn't all her fault and that he was to blame, too. Well, maybe his self-control wasn't working too well in respect to his thoughts. "I'll get to the point then," he said, ignoring Tenten's annoyed mumbling. "I'm sorry if my actions on the mission gave you any reason to believe that our relationship is anything more than professional or even platonic. Any feelings that you think I may be having beyond that are mere delusions. Any feelings that you have beyond that should probably be ended." God, that hurt. Neji felt like someone had seen it fit to set about cutting his heart to shreds with a dull kunai.

"_Delusions?_" Tenten asked, her voice rising to almost a shriek. So much for calm and reasonable in all situations, she thought bitterly. Although she could gut a man and not bat an eyelash, this conversation was too extreme for her to control even her voice. She inhaled sharply, attempting to calm down enough to form a cohesive sentence and resist the urge to swing her IV at him at the same time. "First of all, I would like to point out that_ you_ were the one who initiated the kiss. Second, I am not the delusional type, nor will I ever be, and I am certain you're as aware of this fact as I am. And third, I don't believe you."

"I initiated a kiss that was completely necessary to keep our cover on a mission where secrecy was paramount." Tenten had begun to open her mouth to protest, but he couldn't stop. If he stopped now, he'd never be able to say what he wanted. "Everyone has certain aspects in which the more reasonable parts of them may be fooled. If you still don't believe me, listen clearly to every word I say." Neji felt his throat attempt to slide closed, his breath hitching, but he swallowed forcefully. Subconsciously, he rubbed the seal on his forehead through his headband, a motion that didn't manage to escape Tenten's attention. "I do not love you. I will never love you. If you have any feelings of the sort towards me, forget about them. That's all. I expect to see you at training in three days."

With that, he strode out of the room purposefully, leaving Tenten behind to attempt to stop the flow of tears down her cheeks. And for some reason, all she could think of was that little dead sparrow in the training grounds. On the other side of the door, Neji stopped, rubbing the seal that suddenly burned. It was for his clan, and for her good. Duty was supposed to come first, always. He'd marry whomever his uncle designated, and Tenten... well, she'd find someone else, someone who didn't have a mark on his forehead and a duty to a clan he suddenly hated again.

The thoughts, rather than being comforting, made him feel even more empty inside. More than anything, Neji wanted to return to the hospital room and tell Tenten that he'd lied, that he really loved her, had loved her for some time now. Instead, he turned his back on the that room and strode down the hallways, his steps echoing ahead of him.

Tenten almost jumped as the door opened, widening her eyes eagerly and praying, hoping beyond hope that he'd come back and tell her it had all just been lies. "Hey, Tenten, I've just got to check and make sure everything's good to go. And when you're released, you might wanna go see Lee. He was so worried and apologizing so much I had to ban him for the day." Oh. Sakura.

"Y-yeah, sure," she managed to stutter out, hoping the catch in her voice hadn't been too audible. Startled green eyes raked her face, and Tenten resisted the urge to hide under the covers and refuse to emerge until the world ended.

Sakura rushed to her bedside, checking the machines to make sure something hadn't gone wrong. She was crying. Tenten was crying. Lord, the girl had been battered and broken when she was brought to the hospital, and even though she was fully conscious, she hadn't even _whimpered_. "Did something go wrong? Are you hurting somewhere?"

Shaking her head, Tenten put a halting hand on Sakura's wrist. "Nothing medical. Nothing you can fix," she said, bitterly. "Just... please. Can I go home now?"

**AN**_: Don't hate Neji! It's totally not his fault! Other than that, I hope you liked this chapter. Even if you hate me. _


	3. In the Maelstrom

**Birds on a Wire**

_Chapter 3: In the Maelstrom_

It took her more effort than was reasonable to drag herself out from between the scratchy sheets of the hospital bed. Running a hand through hair that had been tugged free from its customary buns, Tenten surveyed the small room. Where were her clothes...? Ah, there. All of her thoughts, every action, even pulling on her clothes felt odd, mechanical, and tired.

And as much as she wanted to blame it on her battered body and the healing done on it, she knew that wasn't the primary reason. Her vision swam once more with tears and she cursed, rubbing her eyes vigorously with the heels of her hands. Crying just caused more trouble than it solved, _and _it made her look like a baby. Not to mention she already had a headache, and she really didn't feel like sniveling any more.

Instead, Tenten busied herself by stretching and walking out of the cold, white space. She turned her back on the room and strode down the hallways, her steps echoing ahead of her.

As she entered the lobby, Tenten noticed a person with long, dark hair turning from the front desk and heading towards the doors. Purplish hair, she realized, sighing. Not deep brown like the bitterest, strongest coffee. Still, Hinata was one of her friends, so she reached out a hand to grab the shorter girl's shoulder.

Any other time, she would have tried to avoid the other girl, preferring to take solace in training and working. Right now, though, she couldn't go to the training grounds and drown her sorrows in wave after wave of throwing implements. And for some reason, something compelled her to talk to Hinata, to spill out her sorrows to the younger girl who had become one of her best friends (next to Gai and Lee and, yes, Neji).

"Oh, Tenten!" she said, surprised. "What brought you here? Are Neji and Lee all right?" the Hyuuga heiress asked, her eyes wide with concern and her voice smooth without the stutter that had plagued her when she was plagued with a lack of confidence.

A small smile fell upon Tenten's lips, more a gesture of affirmation than of happiness. "Yes, they're fine. I took a hit from Lee this morning at training–one of his new techniques, and whatever it is, it's good–and just got released. What about yourself?"

"It's good that you're all alright, even if you must have been hurt pretty badly. You normally don't go to the hospital, do you?" Hinata wondered. A wry look on her face, the older girl shook her head. "Ah. I was here volunteering again." Tenten nodded. Of course; Hinata volunteered around the hospital almost as much as Sakura _worked _there, and that was quite saying something. "Did you need anything, or did you just want to chat? Oh, not that I mind or anything!" she hastily added, frowning. She didn't want Tenten to think she disliked her company.

For a second, Tenten shuffled her feet, an action that Hinata noticed. It wasn't really like the other girl to be shy or reluctant, and that worried the Hyuuga. "Yeah, Hinata. Uhm, can we walk? Like outside?" Tenten asked, biting her lip. Now she'd be burdening Hinata. Great.

"Of course!" Once they were outside, walking along a path in a grassy, secluded area, Hinata turned her pale gaze on the weapons mistress. "Is something the matter?"

Tenten meant to speak cooly and calmly, and even to ask Hinata's permission before throwing her troubles on the heiress's already-laden shoulders. "I'm just so stupid, Hinata!" Tenten cried out, rubbing her head. So much for having any control over her tongue. "In the academy, they used to bash into us that emotions were wastes, and caused more harm than good. And I freaking _fell in love_ and I'm an idiot and _that's_ what's the matter!" she exclaimed. "_And_ he's a complete jackass about it! Apparently, I'm 'delusional!' And he was the one who kissed _me_!" Tenten emphasized, her voice cracking slightly on the last word.

For a moment, Hinata processed all of the information. Well, that perhaps wasn't the most cohesive of explanations, but she figured Tenten would tell her all of it. First, though, she reached up to wrap her arms around the brunette's shoulders. "If you need to cry, I promise I would never think any less of you," she uttered quietly. That was more or less what Kiba and Shino told her when she would have a particularly bad day, and it was always a great comfort to her. Tenten, it seemed, was no different, because soon her shoulders shook under Hinata's arms. "Was it Neji?" Hinata pried gently, once she had finished hugging the weapons mistress.

Suddenly, Tenten stiffened, and Hinata feared she'd said quite the wrong thing. "Oh my God! And I was _obvious _about it, too?" the older girl half-wailed, bringing her hands up to rub at her eyes.

Hinata couldn't help but smile gently. "Not quite. I know you both very well, and Neji gave off some hints of his own."

Letting out a sort of a watery snort, Tenten shook her head. "Yeah. Hints that he thought I was 'delusional,'" she spat bitterly.

"No, Tenten," Hinata demurred. "Believe me, please. I know more than a little bit about unrequited love-"

"Naruto's a moron."

Hiding a smile, Hinata pretended to ignore the remark. "I know more than a little bit about unrequited love, and that is not what is happening between you and Neji." Letting out a little sigh, Hinata continued. "The Hyuuga clan places the importance of the Byakugan higher than the happiness of its members. With a half-Hyuuga child, not only is the bloodline trait not guaranteed, but what if the non-Hyuuga parent wanted to raise their child separate from the clan? Civil wars have erupted because of lesser things, and the Hyuuga clan isn't renowned for its members being slow to anger. To ward off potential problems, arranged marriages are not only common, but practically mandatory. Especially for a member of the branch family. Tenten, Neji must have just visited you at the hospital, correct?"

The other girl nodded, her gaze on her feet. "Yeah."

With a sigh, Hinata pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "He had just come from a meeting with my father and the elders. They probably have a bride or two, maybe three to choose from if he's lucky. And he will be expected to marry before his next birthday. Otherwise... well, my clan is not kind to those who do not follow the rules," the heiress said sadly.

Her eyes wide, Tenten looked up. "That's not right! In fact, it's probably somewhere near illegal!" she argued, her lower lip trembling.

A small, sad laugh escaped Hinata's voice. "Tenten, do you believe the Hyuuga clan cares what is right and what is wrong? And do you really believe that they're not above the law if they want to be?" she asked gently. A few moments passed, everything silent except for the quiet noises of shinobi sandals against the soft grass. "I... I thought something was wrong. Ever since your mission Neji has been distant. And maybe... well, it would be uncharacteristic of him, but I thought once I heard crying from his room."

Numbly, Tenten blinked up at Hinata. "He's been hurting, too," she said, almost too softly to be heard. She brushed her hand through her hair (it was still down? Why hadn't she put it up? What did it matter?) and attempted to keep her voice normal. "Ugh, God, this really isn't how I would have wanted to find out he cares."

"I can't even fix it! Not even if I become the head of the clan!" Hinata exclaimed suddenly, sadly. "I-I want to so badly, Tenten, I want to make it so the Hyuuga clan... so there's less pain. But I can't help anything. The elders control everything, and I... I'll just be useless again," she muttered.

Tenten surprised Hinata by hugging her tightly. "No, no you won't. You will change things, Hinata. Even if not that one thing, I know you. I know you'll be able to help the clan. _When_ you become head."

"Thank you." Hinata felt slightly abashed as she rubbed traces of wetness from her eyes. "I just feel insecure, sometimes. There are so many things that are wrong, and every move I make will only make me enemies. But there's too much pain in the Hyuuga family right now. And I c-can't even help you two."

Shaking her head, Tenten faced Hinata. "No, you already helped, if only a little. At least-" she cut off for a moment, coughing gently to try to keep her throat from catching. "At least I know he doesn't hate me, right?" Tenten asked, smiling gently.

The younger girl shook her head empathetically. "Neji could never hate you, Tenten. I know him, and as much as he seems otherwise, well... he's difficult to understand. But whatever he told you, it was because he thought it would be for your best, whether it hurt him or not. It was because Neji is the type to follow duty, whether he likes it or not. He knows where his duty must lie, even if he hates it and it hurts him." Both of them considered that for a moment as they continued their walk. The sky, which had been turning dark, finally caught Hinata's attention. "I need to return home, Tenten. Will you be alright?"

"No. But I'll just have to live, won't I?" Tenten asked almost bitterly. "Thanks for listening, Hinata."

"If... if I can do anything, I will try. I'll look for a way, Tenten, I promise I'll try. For you and for Neji!" the heiress exclaimed, courage bright in her eyes.

Shaking her head, the older girl looked over at Hinata. "I don't want to bother you. I've already caused too much trouble, I think." With a apparition of a smile, she reached over and mussed Hinata's hair. "Have a safe trip home."

There was nothing the Hyuuga woman could say that wasn't pointless, so she gave one last glance at her friend and slipped away.

Tenten stood numbly for a moment, looking around her. They'd traveled pretty far away from the hospital, and the place she stood now was a small grassy knoll bordered by trees on one side. Her ears caught the sounds of evening, and her eyes scanned the surrounding, but she comprehended neither. Her brain was swimming with too many new discoveries, too many sad truths.

The Hyuuga's perfect bloodline. Neji's pain. Hinata's tearful wishes. Her own heartbreak. It was like all the sadness was cycling constantly, and she was pulled into the middle of the maelstrom. And she could hardly breathe.

_.eriw a no sdriB_

Hearing the doorknob begin to twist, Neji vaguely wondered how long he had stayed in the library. Any intimations of hunger or tiredness were indistinguishable from the dull ache that had long since settled over his consciousness. As the door opened, no light pooled in from the hallway, a sure sign that most of the household was either at dinner or settling down for the night. As Neji desired neither food nor sleep, he was quite unconcerned which.

"Oh! Neji!" Hinata exclaimed as she saw him bent over the book in his hands. "I-I'm sorry. Should I leave?" she asked worriedly.

The small stutter in her voice had been caught by Neji. It was a habit that she didn't often fall back on except when nervous or worried. Neji sighed. Maybe she had spoken with... with _her. _Or maybe he was just being a little too obvious that he wasn't at his best. The second option made him frown before he realized he didn't quite care any more. A week ago, anyone catching him being upset was cause for an alarm. Now... well, what did it matter? "No, Hinata." His voice sounded heavy even to his own ears. "Feel free to stay. I was just reading." He thought a moment, then looked up at his cousin. "What brings you here, anyway?"

Hinata had turned her backs to him and was searching the extensive shelves of the Hyuuga clan's main library. A moment later, she pulled away with a heavy tome in her hands. "I've been coming here a lot lately, reading on the history and law of our clan. Since I may still be the heiress of this clan, I assumed the least I could do would be to learn about it."

Pleased in spite of himself, Neji watched her make her way to a table and sit down, twining her hair and pulling it away from her face before she picked up the book and read almost voraciously. He wished he could put that much effort into his reading, but all that he could think of was the expression on Tenten's face right before he left.

And so far he hadn't found a single word in the clan's law books about open marriage being allowed. Neji sighed softly and watched as Hinata read, the only sounds in the room the sound of pages turning. "Hinata?" he brought himself to ask after several long minutes of quiet. She looked up, her white gaze questioningly meeting his own. "What is your opinion of the arranged marriages mandated for clan members?" he brought himself to ask.

It really wasn't an unexpected question, Hinata thought as she marked her place with a finger and turned her attention to Neji. "I believe it places the purity of our bloodline as more important than the happiness of the clan members, and I think that's wrong. Father and the elders disagree, of course," she added to, trying to keep the bitter edge out of her voice. "What's your opinion, Neji?" she asked him.

For a while he was silent, pondering his answer. Hinata was about to turn back to her book, assuming he didn't want to speak of it currently, when he replied. "I used to think it was completely logical and at the best interests of the clan, and I still do think that. I also used to think it would work to my advantage. I assumed that I would be too busy training to find anyone whom I would love, and I thought having a wife chosen for me would make matters simpler, easier, and less painful. In that respect, I was completely misgiven." If anything, the arranged marriages definitely were not less painful. He'd seen members of the clan upset about it before, but had assumed they were stupid or confused by what they thought was love. He'd been close-minded, he knew now. Too little, too late.

"I spoke with Tenten today, when she was released from the hospital." If there were any words that could fill Neji with horror and guilt, it was those. "Y-you were... Neji, you were so cruel," Hinata said, biting her lip. What if she had overstepped her bounds. He was hurting, too. Still, she couldn't bring herself to take her words back.

"She needed to hear me say that, Hinata," Neji replied, his voice clipped and angry. "She should be able to handle something like that. She is a _shinobi _and-"

"She is a _person_, Neji," Hinata interrupted, her voice not rising a modicum but managing to cut through his easily. "She has feelings. Neji, Tenten thought you hated her!" the woman exclaimed sadly.

Neji's face was stern. "It would be better for both of us if I hated her and she hated me, Hinata. What would happen if I told her I loved her? Do you think that would make it easier on me when I must marry someone else? Do you think that would make it easier on _her_?"

Shaking her head, Hinata met Neji's gaze squarely. "No. But she deserved to know. I told her about the law. And she told me she understands. She knows what she can change and what she cannot, Neji. She says... she says she'll just have to live with it. Tenten has enough courage to accept this, even if she doesn't like it."

His head swimming, Neji slammed his book on the table, allowing a rare display of anger. "Why?" he asked tightly, barely containing the anger in his voice.

"She deserved to know, Neji. And I wanted her to know, because I will work my hardest to see if I can find some way, any way, for you two to be together. I'll stay in the library all day, searching if I have to. Neji... I just want to try to help people. I want to help our clan."

Sitting there with a humble look on her face, twisting her hands, Hinata looked more like a leader than her cruel, commanding father ever had, Neji thought with a hint of a smile. "Sometimes there is nothing you can do. I have accepted that, and Tenten has accepted that. You shouldn't worry about that," he said, attempting to keep his voice strict.

Her face was transformed by a small smile. "It's what people do for friends and family, for people they love. How can I not help, seeing how much you two matter to each other?"

He stood and returned the book to one of the shelves, thinking as he did so. Once, he had thought Hinata was weak. She had been so quiet, so physically incapable that her younger sister could defeat her. He had underestimated her gentle strength, mistaking cruelty for strength. "I can't stop you from doing what you want, Hinata. Please don't do anything rash." A foolish precaution, he knew; Hinata was everything but foolhardy.

"You know I won't, Neji," was her gentle reply. "Are you going to sleep?"

"I wanted to train." This almost made Hinata laugh. Of course, he wanted to train. It was one of the charms that his whole team possessed, this borderline-obsession with training. "And Hinata?" he asked her, pausing at the door.

"Hm?" she questioned, glancing up from the book she had returned her gaze to.

"Thank you," he said quietly before slipping down the hallway and through the corridors until he reached the wooden floors and comforting scent of the main dojo.

Hinata waited until his footsteps had faded away before she turned her back to the door and began to search through the shelves, apprehension pooling in the pit of her stomach. She just prayed that somehow she would be able to find something to help them, and only time would tell if she would accomplish even that.

**AN: **_A little bit of a break in the angst, I hope. Thank you to all those who have reviewed, faved, or alerted. And thanks for reading, everyone. Hope you guys liked this chapter._


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